The Research File System (RFS) at Indiana University

Important: Although Indiana University's Research
File System (RFS) is secure enough for storing research-related
electronic protected health information (ePHI) regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), the
system does not encrypt stored data. Consequently, you must encrypt
ePHI research data before storing it on RFS. Even if your files are
stored on an encrypted hard drive (e.g., using PGP Whole Disk
Encryption), you still must encrypt your files individually (using an
application such as AESCrypt)
before transferring them to RFS. If you have questions concerning
research involving HIPAA-regulated data, contact the UITS
Advanced Biomedical IT Core (ABITC).

General information

The Indiana University Research File System (RFS) is a centralized
storage area based on OpenAFS. The IU RFS is compatible with all major
operating systems, and accessible using various methods from on and
off campus. RFS data are regularly backed up, and reside in physically
secure environments on the IU Bloomington and IUPUI campuses. IU
researchers can get 100 GB of disk storage at no charge. In addition
to individual user directories, RFS offers project areas well suited for use by collaborative research
teams. All users in a project area group have access to that area, and
therefore can exchange files and collaborate. Group account owners can
tailor access rights for individual users within their projects.

Note: When connected via Samba to the Research
File System (RFS), transferring large files (2.5 GB or larger) to RFS
or between RFS directories may cause your connection to drop; this
also may cause problems on the RFS server. This is an issue with Samba
connections only; if you need to move or copy files that are 2.5 GB or
larger, connect to RFS using OpenAFS, SFTP, or
RFSWeb. If you need
help or have questions, email the Research
Storage team.

OpenAFS client: The OpenAFS client is a somewhat
advanced tool that works best under Linux, but Windows and
Mac OS X versions are also available. The OpenAFS client displays your
RFS storage area as part of your computer's local directory structure,
and is well suited for high-volume, high-intensity work. Installing
the client on your computer can be challenging, and it's helpful to
have experience with the finer details of your operating system. See
At IU, how do I install and configure OpenAFS on my
workstation for use with the RFS?

If you have an account on Quarry, the OpenAFS client is
already installed. Your RFS storage area will appear as part of the
cluster's directory structure.

In accordance with standards for access control mandated by the
HIPAASecurity
Rule, you are not permitted to access data containing protected
health information (PHI) using a group (or departmental)
account. To ensure accountability and permit access to authorized
users only, IU researchers must use their personal Network ID
credentials for all work involving PHI.

After submitting your account request, UITS will notify you via
email when your account is ready for use.

Working with data containing PHI

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
(HIPAA) established rules protecting the
privacy and security of individually identifiable health
information. The HIPAA Privacy
Rule and Security
Rule set national standards requiring organizations and
individuals to implement certain administrative,
physical,
and technical
safeguards to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and
availability of protected health information (PHI).

In accordance with standards for access control mandated by the
HIPAASecurity
Rule, you are not permitted to access data containing protected
health information (PHI) using a group (or departmental)
account. To ensure accountability and permit access to authorized
users only, IU researchers must use their personal Network ID
credentials for all work involving PHI.